L2250 won't get into gear

[fritzwilliam]

Greetings All.

My L2250 had some starting trouble, which has been resolved - replaced alternator and battery - but now won't engage in gear when I put it in forward or reverse in any of the four gears. PTO works, as shown by operation of attached belly mower.

At one point in my trying to figure out what's wrong, I could hear a buzzing from the clutch when the pedal was fully depressed. It would not make the buzzing when only half depressed. Today, the buzzing appears to have gone away, but the tractor still won't get into gear. So it sits, for another night, outside under a tarp.

I've read with interest other threads that echo with similar symptoms, but not quite the same to offer me a solution. Ideas, comments, suggestions will be most welcome. Thanks!

 

[Russell King]

Does it grind or make any noise?

How did it act before your starting problem? Was it ok and just suddenly won’t go into gear?

Have you tried to adjust your clutch pedal linkage?

 

[rut3556]

Make sure your high/low range lever is not in the "neutral" position.

 

[fritzwilliam]

Make sure your high/low range lever is not in the "neutral" position.

Uncanny!!

I was giving it another once over today and, lo, I noticed the Hi-Lo lever for the first time. It was in neutral. When I started to move it - just to see what would happen - I could feel chamfering one feels when feathering a clutch on.a car. So I pushed the clutch pedal down, all the way, and moved the Hi-Lo forward to Lo. And off we went, at (according to the speed table on p.10 of my manual) a hasty 0.9 mph!

So now I can at least get my machine someplace appropriate -- not a grassy slope -- to work on it further.

But, as I said, your comment was uncanny. I have to ask, admitting complete ignorance, has my tractor always run in either "Hi" or "Lo"? I had never noticed before whether the lever was in Hi, Lo, or Neutral.

Many thanks!

 

[rut3556]

Uncanny!!

I was giving it another once over today and, lo, I noticed the Hi-Lo lever for the first time. It was in neutral. When I started to move it - just to see what would happen - I could feel chamfering one feels when feathering a clutch on.a car. So I pushed the clutch pedal down, all the way, and moved the Hi-Lo forward to Lo. And off we went, at (according to the speed table on p.10 of my manual) a hasty 0.9 mph!

So now I can at least get my machine someplace appropriate -- not a grassy slope -- to work on it further.

But, as I said, your comment was uncanny. I have to ask, admitting complete ignorance, has my tractor always run in either "Hi" or "Lo"? I had never noticed before whether the lever was in Hi, Lo, or Neutral.

Many thanks!

 

[rut3556]

Hey, glad to see it was a simple "fix". Typically, you'd run it in "Hi" range, but if you're doing some serious "stump pulling" then you'd want to be in "lo" range. I bought my L2250 new in 1985 and it's been an unfailing workhorse. It leads a good life though, and has a mere ~500+ hours on the clock.

Good luck!

 

[fritzwilliam]

Does it grind or make any noise?

How did it act before your starting problem? Was it ok and just suddenly won’t go into gear?

Have you tried to adjust your clutch pedal linkage?

In re; the Buzzing.

The buzzing has stopped. I've only heard it this one time, while the tractor was stuck immobile because of a bad alternator and a battery that stopped keeping a charge.

The starting problem was intermittent last year, but became absolute after I ran over a bow-saw hidden in some long grass while moving with my belly mover. The bow saw was caught up between blades and housing, and shut the tractor down right then and there. After removing the pretzeled bowsaw handle and blade, I made sure everything could turn by hand - which it could - but the tractor would not start.

After letting it and myself cool off for a while, I went back to trying to start it up and, eventually, got it going and out of the field. I suppose I was lucky to get it to turn over just the once.

Choosing to rely on local expertise rather than risk overlooking something I wouldn't know to look for, I asked my local tractor mechanic to look at it. He discovered the alternator was no long producing juice properly and, we thought, isolated the problem. It subsequently became clear the battery was also effectively kaput.

I don't know how my mishap in the field with the bowsaw led to the alternator and battery both giving out. I put a new battery in yesterday and it started right up. Today, it reverted for a moment to cranking without turning over, but then it fired up. Should I still be worried about something amiss with the electrical system that could explain the irregular starting?

In re: getting into gear.

I may have the answer for this from a separate comment offered. My "Hi-Lo" lever was in neutral, which I realize now may have been one of the tractor mechanic's precautions against mishap while working on it. I admit I never noticed what position it was in, and don't recall ever touching it. Moving it into "Lo" has allowed me to get it moving, and I am looking forward to getting more acquainted with the "Hi-Lo" lever later today.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I'll look into the clutch pedal linkage, just to reduce my ignorance and be more prepared should I have continued trouble.